Axel Springer to sell stake in @Leisure to OYO for $202 million

  • The transaction will include the repayment of a shareholder loan of around 60 million euros and is expected to close in June
  • The acquisition will help SoftBank Group Corp-backed OYO expand its Homes business, which will now have more than 100 million vacation rentals and urban homes

Bengaluru: German media company Axel Springer said on Wednesday it would sell its majority stake in European vacation rental group @Leisure to Indian hotel startup OYO for 180 million euros ($202.19 million).

The transaction will include the repayment of a shareholder loan of around 60 million euros and is expected to close in June, Springer said.

The acquisition will help SoftBank Group Corp-backed OYO expand its Homes business, which will now have more than 100 million vacation rentals and urban homes.

Europe will be OYO's largest market accounting for up to 40% of total supply.

OYO, which raised $1 billion last year, now has presence in more than 800 cities across 24 countries including the US, UK, India, China and Japan.

Sources told Reuters last month that home-renting company Airbnb would invest between $100 million and $200 million in OYO.

Springer, best known as the publisher of the 'Bild' tabloid, said it was selling @Leisure to focus more on its classifieds media business.

@Leisure manages holiday homes, holiday parks and holiday apartments across Europe and has a total inventory of more than 300,000 rooms.

The story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed

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